1

Mar

Houston, TX – By special invitation, Rand Group was selected as a Tier-1 Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) earlier this month.

Partners who have demonstrated a unique ability to manage the entire customer lifecycle with Microsoft Cloud Services are invited to apply to the program. Of those applications, a select few are chosen to be among the Tier-1 providers, as demonstrated by their ability to provide a seamless, end-to-end customer experience. The approval process requires the presentation of a sound business plan, which highlights the partner’s ability to meet all the requirements which include, but aren’t limited to: the ability to transact billing on a monthly and/or annual basis, 24/7 customer support, a demonstrated ability to provision, manage and support Microsoft Cloud Services, and to provide integrated services across the cloud platform.

Rand Group is uniquely positioned among the Tier-1 partners as one of the few to provide the full range of Microsoft Dynamics ERP products, including Dynamics AX, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics NAV.

Tier-1 partners not only sell Microsoft Cloud Services but also utilize their high capability standards to provide a great customer experience from sales through to implementation, billing, and support. There are approximately 1,000 Tier-1 partners worldwide, whereas Tier-2 partners are expected to number in the tens of thousands. However, there are only a handful of Tier-1 partners who are also Gold Certified in Microsoft Dynamics and/or who provide the Dynamics ERP suite.

Being certified in Dynamics ERP means Rand Group can offer complete, front to back technology enablement, from infrastructure through to management solutions and business analytics, entirely in the cloud or as a hybrid deployment. This is a superior offering to the marketplace because it allows clients the ability to build a relationship with a single partner that can provide a one-stop experience. Becoming a Tier-1 Cloud Solutions Provider helps make Rand Group a truly complete services firm.

Tier-1 partners have the opportunity to build and deploy solutions that will not only improve the overall business of their clients but will ensure each client is provided with the full scope of tools and services to suit their needs.

Lorenzo Fife, Director, Infrastructure at Rand Group had this to say: “Becoming a Cloud Solution Provider is going to allow us to control all aspects of the process from sales to billing – turn-key solutions that include dedicated cloud support. For the client that has historically received two or more separate invoices for services they receive (Azure consumption, Office 365 subscriptions, Microsoft partner consulting or services) they will now have one point of contact – one throat to choke as it were. For us, it means being able to provide our clients with a seamless cloud experience”.

The Microsoft Cloud Service Provider program was first announced in July of 2014, with deployment rolling out initially in mid-to-late 2015. This is a new and evolving program that is poised to continue gaining momentum as cloud becomes an even bigger focal point for many businesses. The launch of this program shows Microsoft’s commitment to hearing their customers, and supporting the evolution of the partner ecosystem.

“This is where a lot of our hard work creates real value,” says Ron Rand, President and CEO of Rand Group, “we have been establishing our cloud practice extensively over the last 2 years and becoming part of the Microsoft Cloud Solution Tier-1 partners gives us a great opportunity to help our clients do more. When we couple cloud offerings with core ERP solutions and things like business analytics, we’re able to have a significant and lasting impact on client success. We can provide complete solutions for every business scenario, in any consumption model that makes sense. This is a revolutionary; a truly transformative time for us and our clients.”

Becoming a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider will support Rand Group’s mission to help people use technology for business success.